I just switched XL650 over to 40, super easy with the quick change kit. Well worth it. Dillon Carbide die set.

I loaded some dummy rounds to test in a CZ TSO. I’m at about 1.127” COL to get a nice plunk and spin with The Blue Bullets 180gr coated lead bullet.

Now for the question, I’m not sure on the bell removal with the taper crimp die. It seemed easier to tell with the 9mm.

If I set it where it looks good to me, I get the occasional hang going into the chamber even with a good plunk. So I removed a little more and it’s much better. Neither time did I experience setback even after multiple feeding from the magazine. It doesn’t seem to set too far into the chamber either.

I measure the mouth of the dummy round at about .4205 with a .401 bullet, best I can with calipers. It’s the same I get on the body of the case after it’s been through the press.

Next step is to buy a bullet puller to check the coating but does it sound like I’m close or ok?

Got a bullet puller and reset the crimp by backing it off and then raising the shell plate and screwing it down until contacted the dummy round. The screwing it don little by little until I couldn’t feel the bell with my finger nail.

They all cycled a few times through the gun and pulled with some resistance and a very faint mark but didn’t break the coating. The ones with no mark at all still has a slight catch on the fingernail and would occasionally hang up on chambering with slightly less of a slingshot.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Riley,

The 40 head spaces on the mouth of the case so the only requirement is remove what you did with the expander and maybe 0.001" more. With mixed brass you will have different lengths. Meaning you will have less crimp on the short ones.

Sounds like your pretty close. On the crimped ones have you determined where their binding at, crimp or OAL. You may want to adj you OAL down another 0.005" and see if that clears it up. Also keep a eye on the mfg. The thickness varies with each. A RP is know to be thin and softer, so it may be fine but a WW will be causing problems.

I just measure the case mouth with calipers on my finished loads. I aim for a .422-.423 for both lead and coated 180gr bullets. On the coated stuff, somewhere in that ball park measurement works for my USPSA Limited loads. Your chamber plunk test will let you know when it's GTG.

I’ve had the issue occasionally with factory MagTec which isn’t the best ammo.

1.130 plunks and spins nicely with a .421 crimp. Which is really close to the MagTec. I’ll try 1.125.

Same whether it’s factory mags or Grams followers and CZ Custom +3 base pad and 10 coil spring. 16lb or 18lb recoil spring no buffer.


Bought a package of new Remington brass but didn’t help.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Riley,

In searching, it seems some folks had issues with extraction.

I read some stuff about tuning the extractor on 75 series pistols, and decided to tweak the extractor. Using a fine file, I relieved the bottom ever so slightly. Then polished with the 600grit.

It will now feed a full magazine, of 20 dummy rounds at 1.130, without issue.

Time will tell, but this seems promising.